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Uber, Airbus team up to provide on-demand helicopter rides
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If you need to get somewhere fast and traffic is looking terrible, you may soon be able to hail a helicopter instead. - photo by Jessica Ivins
Jessica Ivins
KSL.com
Published: Jan 21, 2016, 8:10 AM
MUNICH If you need to get somewhere fast and traffic is looking terrible, you may soon be able to hail a helicopter instead.

But it will likely cost you a pretty penny to do so.

Ride-share giant Uber has announced a partnership with Europes largest plane maker Airbus that will allow users to request helicopter rides with smartphones, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Its a pilot project, well see where it goes but its pretty exciting, Tom Enders, Airbus chief executive, told the Journal.

The project will launch this week at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, partnering directly with Air Resources to provide H125 helicopters, Enders said. Those who want to utilize the service will be offered Uber ground transportation to the choppers, according to the Journal.

This isnt the first time that Uber has dabbled with helicopters the company experimented with the idea back in 2013, offering rides between Manhattan and the Hamptons. UberChopper has also been tested at special events including last years Cannes Film Festival.

Bills for those rides have ranged from the hundreds to the thousands, the Journal reports. But neither Uber nor Airbus released a specific estimate for how much the new service will cost.

An Airbus spokesman told NBC News that the partnership will facilitate a new business model for helicopter operators to access a broader customer base. Airbus is seeking to shore up its helicopter business, which has lagged in recent years due to low oil prices.

More details will likely be released in coming months, but until then, one is left to speculate what surge pricing will look like when youre dealing with choppers instead of cars.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.